


Therese and Abby

by Cali85



Category: Carol (2015), Carol (2015) RPF, The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 03:43:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6736735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cali85/pseuds/Cali85
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is taken from the novel version of Carol (The Price of Salt) and expands on the aftermath of when Abby invites Therese out to lunch. This is set later in the day when Therese discusses it with Carol. I've taken part of the actual conversation/chapter in the novel and expanded it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Therese and Abby

‘Is everything ok Therese? You’ve been very quiet tonight’ Carol asked as they sat down to dinner.

‘Have you spoken to Abby today?’

‘No’ replied Carol ‘Why do you ask?’

‘We had lunch today’ Therese replied not looking at Carol. She had felt rather guilty at not bringing this up sooner, but knowing Carol and Abby were so close she was unsure if Carol would be mad at Abby's obvious disapproval of their friendship.

‘Why didn’t you tell me? What did she say to you?’ Carol had spoken to Abby the night before about her trip and her intention to ask Therese. She had felt Abby disapproved though she didn’t put those feelings into words. Carol was well aware Abby still had feelings for her and perhaps she perceived Therese as a threat. Carol looked at Therese intensely. _What if she’s let Therese know?_ she thought to herself.

‘I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure if you would be mad at Abby inviting me out of the blue. She was perfectly nice’ Therese replied trying to act as coolly detached as possible. ‘She called me at work and asked me to meet her for lunch at the Palermo’ Carol’s eyes narrowed. ‘I think she just wanted me to know that you were going through a rough time at the minute and you’re lonely’ Carol looked down at the table.

‘Did she now’ she said and took a long drag of her cigarette. Therese went on ‘She was asking me how we met and why I liked you. The whole lunch was a bit strange’.

‘Abby can be overprotective’ Carol replied as cheerfully as she could muster. ‘We’ve known each other a long time, she’s like a big sister’ she continued with a forced smile. ‘I wouldn’t let Abby get to you she’s very nice but very clumsy’.

_She doesn’t want me to see you_ Therese thought to herself _She’s jealous because you’re spending time with me and not her and you want to take me on the trip._ _The trip_ she thought. _Why hasn’t she asked me yet? Has she changed her mind?_ They both sat in silence.

‘The pastimes of idle people’ Carol said after they’d finished dinner and moved to the swing seat. Therese didn’t want to tell Carol everything about the lunch, she didn’t want to talk about Abby anymore. All she could think about was why Carol hadn’t asked her to go with her yet. Also why hadn’t she asked Abby? Contrary to what Carol had said Abby does have the time. She doesn’t work, all she seems to do is go out to parties. Both of them get on so well together, Carol only seems truly happy when Abby’s there. Therese thought to herself _I certainly can’t make her laugh like that. She’s never ‘even’ with me. Either she’s smiling at me or scolding me._ Then she remembered Abby’s comment _‘You win’._ What did she mean?

Carol watched Therese. It was clear she was upset or at least annoyed by the lunch. Carol was getting nervous. _What if she’s figured it out and she doesn’t want it? What if she thinks the only reason I see her is because I want to seduce her? She’ll feel betrayed._

‘What else did Abby say that bothers you’ Carol asked not looking at Therese. Therese didn’t want to talk about it anymore, yet at the same time she started to feel like this bothered Carol. She had been quiet with Therese too. They’d barely said anything all night.

‘Nothing. Does it bother you, Carol?

‘Bother Me?

‘You’re different with me tonight.’

Carol glanced at her. ‘You imagine’. Carol sat up. _‘I want to ask you to go with me across the country and I’m not sure if I should’_ she thought to herself. _‘You’re too young for me and I don’t know if I can keep my feelings in check. I can’t be away from you for weeks either. How did I let this happen?’._ Her thoughts were interrupted as Therese spoke

‘I don’t think Abby likes me. I don’t think she wants me to see you’

‘That’s not true. You’re imagining again’ Though Carol knew she might be wrong, Abby would certainly be jealous but she couldn’t take the thought of her best friend and most important person in her life, besides her daughter, disliking the woman she loved.

‘I don’t mean she said it. She invited me to a cocktail party’

‘Who’s party?’

‘I don’t know. She said uptown. She said you wouldn’t be there, so I didn’t particularly want to go’ Therese replied still not looking at Carol

‘Where uptown?’ Carol asked as if she didn’t already know the answer.

‘She didn’t say. Just that one of the girls giving it was an actress’

‘She did’ Carol couldn’t hide her displeasure and put her lighter down on the glass table with a click. _‘Tessie’s party’_ Carol thought to herself _‘She’s trying to see if Therese is one of us. I’ll kill her’_

Carol tried to soothe Therese telling her Abby doesn’t feel that way about her. She just has a clumsy way with words that’s all.

Carol asked Therese to go on the trip. Carol could never shake the habit which had been drilled into her of always appearing to have everything under control, this had meant she put the question to Therese in her customary nonchalant manner. She appeared as if it didn’t matter what Therese’s reply was. This of course was not true. She desperately wanted Therese to go with her. Her heart was pounding and she couldn’t meet Therese’s eyes when she asked.

Therese was disheartened. She thought Carol couldn’t care less whether she went with her or not. She asked as casually as if she suggested their taking a walk together, Therese thought. Therese had thought of nothing else since Abby had told her of Carol’s intention to ask her and she had been waiting all night for her to ask. But suddenly it meant nothing because of the way Carol had asked. ‘Thanks- I don’t think I could afford it just now’ This wasn’t true and she would plunge herself into mountains of debt to go away with Carol if she had to.

Therese had never said no to Carol before and Carol wasn’t used to anyone but Harge saying no to her. ‘You wouldn’t need much money. We’d go in the car’ Carol urged. ‘You’ve got some very strange values Therese. I asked you to go with me because it would give me pleasure to have you. I should think it would be good for you too, and good for your work. But you’ve got to spoil it by silly pride about money.’ Carol walked by her and turned to continue. However, when she turned Therese was smiling. ‘Well, do you think it’s funny’

_She does care_ Therese thought to herself. _She does want me with her_. ‘I don’t care about the money...I’ve got the money to go. I’ll go.’ Both women smiled at each other.

Later that night as Therese was upstairs running the bath Carol decided to call Abby. She was still mad at her for speaking to Therese, she was sure she hadn’t received the full conversation. Mostly though she was annoyed about the stunt Abby had tried to pull. _Imagine inviting Therese to that party. What was she thinking?_

Knowing she was at the party she called Tessie’s apartment. After a brief conversation with Tessie in which she gave her standard false apology ‘I am sorry, Tessie, but I did get stuck after all…Well, I’m not dressed and I’m tired’ she asked to speak to Abby.

When Abby came to the phone it was clear she had been drinking and was in a very merry mood which inevitably disarmed Carol and she fought back her smile. ‘I hear you had lunch with Therese’ Abby could sense her friends’ annoyance, but luckily she had been expecting Therese to tell Carol and had already anticipated her response. ‘Don’t worry darling I’m not attempting to take her for myself. Up against you I wouldn’t stand a chance’ she said light heartedly.

Carol smiled to herself then remembered why she’d actually called ‘You invited her to the party?’

‘I thought it would be good for her to meet some of our friends. You said she doesn’t seem to have many people in her life so what’s the harm’ Abby maintained a mischievous tone throughout.

‘Don’t give me that’ Carol replied trying to keep a serious tone. There was always something in Abby’s manner which made Carol want to laugh. Her light hearted, playful nature soothed Carol’s more serious one ‘I know exactly why you invited her. You wanted to see how she would react. Would she be comfortable in a room full of women like us?’

‘Isn’t it better to know? Besides you’re over reacting. It’s discreet here. There’s no Romanesque orgy taking place in the living room or half naked women roaming around. I know we don’t know everyone here but they’re just Tessie’s friends. She’s an actress, you know she won’t invite anyone who’s too out there’

‘Well I don’t like it’ Carol replied half angry, half joking ‘one damn bit. How do I know what kind of people they are?

‘Everyone is perfectly proper and discreet. I just wanted to see if she could read between the lines. If she did and didn’t run out the door, then you would know what you’re getting into. If she didn’t she’d be none the wiser and would have a good time and meet some interesting people. She might even meet someone she likes more than you’ Abby added teasingly.

‘Oh-ho Is that so’

‘Have you asked her to go yet?’

‘Yes’

‘And of course she said yes right?’

‘Yes, we’re going’

‘You don’t seem so happy’

‘Well I am. Don’t I sound it?’

‘If that’s what you want Carol then of course I’m happy for you. But you need to be careful. She’s young and you are vulnerable right now. I’m just worried you won’t be able to keep your feelings in check and you’ll get hurt’

‘That’s nobody’s business but mine, is it?’

‘I don’t think you’re thinking straight. You barely know this girl and you don’t seem to be in control. It’s like you’re having some sort of mid-life crisis’

‘Nonsense’ Carol replied ‘Anyway we have another problem’ she went on lowering her voice to a whisper, mindful of Therese upstairs.

‘What problem?’

‘Thanks to your wonderful charm and social graces Therese thinks you don’t like her. She said she thinks you don’t want her to see me. Now that maybe true but I don’t want her to feel that way. It’s very important to me that you both get along’

‘I don’t dislike Therese at all. I think she’s a sweet girl and as I said to her I can see why you think so much of her’

‘Well I don’t know what the full conversation was between the two of you but you have to fix this’

‘I will. Put her on the phone’ Abby replied with a sigh.

‘Why don’t you come and say hello to Abby’ Carol called to Therese.

‘Why’ Therese replied not really wanting to speak to Abby after this afternoon’s awkward lunch. Added to that she had just come out the bath and was completely naked.

‘Come along’ Carol said.

‘Hello’ Abby said. ‘I hear you’re going.’

‘Is that news to you?’ Therese replied trying not to sound defensive.

‘Will you forgive me if I was rude today?’ Abby went on ‘I like you OK, Therese.’

‘Cut it, cut it!’ Carol called down.


End file.
